Now that Georgia football has officially made the SEC Championship game, there is an interesting debate going on in the fanbase. Would it be better for Georgia to have a first round bye in the College Football Playoff or a home playoff game?
The new CFP bracket seeding can be a little confusing, but for Georgia it's very simple. If they beat Georgia Tech then win the SEC they automatically get a top four seed and first round bye. But if they lose the SEC Championship game then a first round home playoff game is likely.
So which option is better for Georgia?
While it may seem obvious that Georgia would want the top four seed and first round bye, it may not be as simple as that.
For starters, who wouldn't want a home playoff game in Sanford Stadium? Georgia fans get the stadium rocking anytime there is a big game, and a home playoff game would be the biggest game in Sanford Stadium history.
It's also worth considering that Georgia would have a great chance to beat whichever lower seed gets the unfortuante task of having to come to Gerogia in the first round. So that win in the first round could give Georgia the momentum they need to make a deep run in the playoffs.
However, even though that all sounds nice, the obvious answer is the correct answer being that Kirby Smart and Georgia should hope for a top four seed and first round bye.
Top 4 seed is critical
This may have been a more difficult decision to make if Georgia didn’t already clinch their spot in the SEC Championship game next weekend already. If that weren’t the case, then it might have been in their best interest to not make the title game, get their extra week off after the Georgia Tech game this Friday, then prepare for their home playoff game.
But now that UGA has to play in the SEC Championship game, they need to win so they can get this extra time off during the first round playoff games. A loss in the title game means they have to play in the first round of the CFP likely against a team who had a bye during the conference championship week. That is a recipe for diasaster.
Another reason why winning the SEC and getting a first round bye is crucial is because of which teams Georgia will avoid in the playoffs. An SEC title will give Georgia the 2-seed or 3-seed in the playoffs. Both seeds are on the opposite side of the bracket of the 1-seed and 5-seed, meaning Georgia wouldn’t play either team until the National Championship game.
This is relevant because Oregon and Ohio State are going to be the two teams with these seeds. We don’t know yet who will get which seed, but the winner of the Big Ten Championship game will be the 1-seed and the loser will likely get the 5-seed. Those two teams are easily Georgia’s biggest threats in the CFP, so avoiding them both until the title game would be ideal.
So even though a home playoff game in Sanford Stadium sounds fun, it’s in Georgia’s best interest to win the SEC and earn a first round bye this season.